The Centre and the state government are expected to provide a total of Rs 55 crore to the Fergusson College for upgradation of facilities. Officials said the college will convert its 27 departments in Arts and Science streams to eight ‘schools’.
Fergusson college is considered to be the most oldest and iconic institutions. It was established by the stalwarts like Lokmanya Tilak and Gopal Ganesh Agarkar and run by the DES i.e Deccan Education Society. Now the college has received the varsity status,an official of the DES said
“We received a phone call from officials of the University Grants Commission who confirmed that the Fergusson College has received the status of a university. However, we are yet to receive an official letter. On Monday, a meeting was held in Mumbai on the same. We are not yet sure whether it will be a deemed status or a state university status,” said Principal Ravindrasinh Pardeshi during a press conference.
UGC official said that it is one the three colleges across the country to attain a status of varsity. This college will also be receiving grant under the Centre’s Rashtriya Uchchatar Shiksha Abhiyaan (RUSA).Since 2016Fergusson College has been an autonomous institute. The Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD) had asked all the autonomous colleges, who wished to upgrade their status to that of a university, to send in their proposals by April 19. On Friday, a meeting took place in New Delhi between officials of the RUSA and the UGC where names of three colleges, including Fergusson, were finalised.
The Centre and the state government are expected to provide a total of Rs 55 crore to the college for upgradation of facilities. Officials said the college will convert its 27 departments in Arts and Science streams to eight ‘schools’. Like the school of bio-sciences, school of liberal arts and humanities, school of social sciences, and so on, which will be headed by directors or deans. There will also be separate centres dedicated skill and personality development, and health and wellness. The college will also focus on improving the physical infrastructure of the campus.
